Epress.am News from Armenia
On Sept. 15, the lawsuit launched by Center of Bird Lovers and Ecodar NGO representative and Prezumpcia consulting center Director Levon Ohanyan against the RA Ministry of Nature Protection was heard in the Yerevan administrative court. The government ministry is being accused of inaction with reference to the newly constructed Nemo Dolphinarium in Yerevan’s Komitas Park, which environmentalists have been demanding be shut down.
Yesterday’s court session was taken up mainly by Judge Ruzan Hakobyan directing questions to the nature protection ministry representative, Center of Bird Lovers NGO President Silva Adamyan told Epress.am.
“In particular, the judge was asking if, according to appeals by various environmental groups, a survey of the surrounding environment had been made and an assessment document provided. The ministry representative was insisting that after the area was transferred for use it is not subject to being surveyed, but our attorney Levon Ohanyan insisted and [made a case] with documents that we have appealed to the ministry with such letters prior to the transfer of the building for us,” she said.
In Adamyan’s opinion, in hearing these preliminary court hearings, the judge understood that a serious lawsuit has been launched against the nature protection ministry.
“The judge gave the ministry representative 20 days for them to present documents and legal explanations as to what the ministry did concerning the dolphinarium in general,” she said.
Note, the next court date has been scheduled for Oct. 2 at 4:30 pm.